1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal capable of receiving digital broadcast data, and more particularly to a mobile communication terminal for performing a roaming function using broadcast program information metadata interface, and a roaming method using the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Broadcast program information is required for providing a user with digital broadcast data called representative digital multimedia content data. There are many types of broadcast program information in a digital multimedia broadcasting field, such as an Electronic Program Guide (EPG).
The EPG is indicative of a service information (SI) in which information related to channel, timetable, and title of broadcast data is described. A conventional EPG includes different broadcast service formats according to broadcast enterprises and broadcast categories.
Most broadcast terminals have different EPG provision methods. In other words, most broadcast terminals have different EPG processing methods and different expressing engines. Consequently, there is a limitation in employing the EPG information having different broadcast formats. The EPG information is located under a broadcast service. The user uses the EPG information via interfaces of individual broadcast services.
The EPG information has different structures according to broadcast enterprises and broadcast services. For example, a Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) system has a specific structure capable of transmitting EPG data over a network of a mobile communication enterprise without using an additional channel for EPG transmission.
A Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (S-DMB) system has a specific structure capable of transmitting EPG data over a broadcast channel. Therefore, the T-DMB system and the S-DMB system have transmission formats different from each other.
In the current system, different types of receivers are available each broadcast types, and at the same time, various types are being developed to support the different types of broadcast type. Individual demultiplexers receive broadcast signal streams from tuners/demodulators based on a variety of schemes, and filter the received broadcast signal streams while being classified according to sections. Thereafter, each demultiplexer extracts SI (Service Information) data. Each controller analyzes table syntax using the same format, and configures an integrated EPG database (DB) to be stored in a memory. The integrated EPG DB is provided to a user as an On Screen Display (OSD) signal. The conventional art capable of storing the EPG data depending on individual broadcast enterprises and individual broadcast formats as an integrated DB must convert a current EPG-data structure received from the broadcast enterprise into another EPG-data structure in order to store different EPG data as integrated EPG data.
A current EPG is converted into another EPG data to be suitable for a broadcast service environment based on broadcast enterprises, and is being provided to users.
Although a mobile communication terminal provides the users with a single EPG usage environment corresponding to a broadcast system, it has a disadvantage in that it must change an EPG-data storage structure to another storage structure in order to store an integrated EPG DB based on different structures. Since the integrated EPG DB is integrated data resulting from the structure change, it has difficulty in coping with new broadcast environment standards if metadata interface is changed to another data.
Presently, a variety of EPG data for every country, enterprise, and region are being widely used throughout the world, and different standards and transmission methods are also being used for individual EPG data depending on the individual countries, enterprises, and regions. Therefore, if a broadcast terminal moves from a current location to another location, a global roaming service is required. A roaming structure of the EPG data is depicted in FIG. 1.